


and then there was

by spikeymarshmallows



Series: two boys emerging from shadowed hallways [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Drug Abuse, Drug Withdrawal, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Running Away, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikeymarshmallows/pseuds/spikeymarshmallows
Summary: After Ben dies, Klaus deals with things exactly how everyone expects him to.And then there's Diego, trying to pull him through the darkness."Come on sweetheart, we can't stay here any longer"
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: two boys emerging from shadowed hallways [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695337
Comments: 34
Kudos: 267





	and then there was

**Author's Note:**

> For [this tumblr prompt](https://spikeymarshmallows.tumblr.com/post/618239823857254400/kliego-come-on-sweetheart-we-cant-stay-here)!
> 
> _"Come on sweetheart, we can't stay here any longer"_
> 
> Thank you for the prompt, anon! 
> 
> I'm always taking prompts, if y'all ever wanna suggest them : )

Reality wasn't quite… real. Or was it? He didn't know. He felt like he was a few inches to the left of his body, in it, but not quite in it at the same time.

He didn't know how much of that was grief, and how much of that was the ketamine.

He slumped to the floor and lay there for a moment. It might have been longer, but who was to say?

Eventually, he managed to push himself up, surprising himself when he even got to his feet. Being upright lasted approximately three seconds before he stumbled, knocking a multitude of objects off the bookshelf that his hand shot out to brace himself with. He vaguely recognised that his knees would be sore when he could next feel things, but for now, the sensation was dulled.

Good.

That was the point.

He crawled up onto his bed, head spinning wildly. He ceiling above him looked circular. He giggled and tried to breathe through his nose to stave off the light-headedness.

It worked as long as he kept his eyes closed.

He was vaguely aware of his father coming in, but he didn't know how much time had passed. When his father scolded him, the words came through fuzzy, and delayed, and Klaus couldn't quite make sense of them. He nearly vomited when he was dragged out of bed, and he stumbled into things as he was pulled through the halls.

There was something about proper motivation to make his powers work now. Klaus knew it should infuriate him, but he mostly felt numb.

At least the mausoleum was cold against his feverish skin.

He wasn't sure how long he was in the crypt. Time had always been a bit of an abstract concept to Klaus, and this was no exception. He just knew it was dark when he'd been thrown in, and it was dark when he was pulled out.

Oh, and he was so very, very in the depths of withdrawal.

When it became apparent he couldn't stand, Father disappeared, and Klaus didn't even have it in him to plead not to leave him there.

The next time Father reappeared, it was with Luther. Klaus was almost as tall as Luther, but Luther had his oh-so-special powers. Luther scooped him up, weirdly gentle with him in a way he'd never been before.

There was jostling, and too much movement, but he was eventually settled down on his bed. After their father stormed out, Luther brushed the matted hair off Klaus' forehead. He grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed and tucked it over Klaus.

In the darkness, Klaus could kind of make out a look that was eerily like concern. Klaus didn't know what to do with that, so he didn't acknowledge it.

"Take care," Luther said softly, glancing back towards the open door. "I've already lost one brother this week. I don't want to lose another." He nodded sharply to himself and then scurried from the room, as if showing any hint of kindness would be an excuse for punishment.

Actually, knowing their father, that was exactly what would happen.

Klaus couldn't sleep. He was so fucking nauseated but he couldn't get out of bed. Every time he tried to move, the world tilted.

He heard the door to his bedroom open and the next thing he registered was Diego kneeling beside his bed. His face was close to Klaus', but he had trouble making it out in the darkness.

"Jesus, Klaus," Diego whispered.

Klaus tried to say something, but his voice came out a rasp.

"Come on, sweetheart," Diego said gruffly, hand a vice grip around Klaus' upper arm as he helped Klaus to sit up, "we can't stay here any longer."

"Where are we going?" Klaus asked, torn between finding the touch agonising and comforting. He shuddered and slumped down to the floor.

"Doesn't matter. Just. Not here. We're not staying here."

Klaus whimpered and nodded. His head felt like it was going to explode, weird pressure pushing from the inside out.

He wobbled again and groped around for something to be sick in. Diego must have been able to read his mind because the next second, there was a wastepaper basket in front of him while he emptied the contents of his insides into it. He was dehydrated and hadn't eaten in… Well, he didn't know how long. It was agonising to vomit up nothing but bile; maybe that was just the withdrawal.

Diego was stroking the back of his head and neck, hand blistering hot.

"I…" Diego stood. He disappeared but Klaus wasn't quite sure whether it was only for a moment or a lifetime. When he returned, he knelt in front of Klaus. Klaus blinked up at him, moaning when the world tilted.

He felt Diego's hands on his, wrapping around them and holding them around a cool mug. Diego let go of one hand but it shot back over Klaus' when it became apparent he couldn't really hold it. He helped Klaus take little sips of water, just a few mouthfuls before he set it down again. Klaus couldn't really make out Diego's face in the darkness, but he felt Diego's hands brush the hair off his forehead. Klaus lay his head back against the edge of the bed.

"Just stay there…" Diego told him, as if Klaus was in any position to move right now. Diego was moving around the room quickly so Klaus had to shut his eyes against the nausea that accompanied following him. He was suddenly so very, very cold, and began to shiver, even though he was sweating like a sinner in church.

There was faint clattering as Diego grabbed things and Klaus belatedly realised Diego was packing a bag on the bed above him.

"What… are you doing?" Klaus asked blinking slowly up at him.

"Packing," Diego said shortly.

"Oh. Where are we going?"

"We're getting out of here."

"Oh. Okay then." Klaus closed his eyes and rested his head back on the bed again. Diego knelt beside him again and helped him take a few more sips of water. Klaus drank it gratefully. He wanted more but figured that Diego didn't want him to vomit it back up.

"Just. Just stay here, okay?"

"Oh, I was planning on running a marathon, but now that you've told me that," Klaus said as drily as he could.

"Glad to hear you're feeling better," Diego said and even though Klaus couldn't see it, he knew Diego was rolling his eyes.

He disappeared from Klaus' room, but Klaus couldn't hear him. Of all of them, Diego was best at moving silently. Klaus, when he could be bothered, was a close second.

He found enough strength to lift the water to his mouth again, and was glad it didn't revisit him.

Diego returned at some point. He hoisted Klaus onto his feet. Klaus lurched and made to be sick into the bin again. He vomited up the water he'd managed, and shuddered again.

"Sorry," Diego said softly. "Do you… Do you think you can walk?"

"I dunno," Klaus said wetly. "Can't we… do it another night? Dad's still gonna be a prick in the morning."

"Can't wait until morning."

"Why not?"

"Because I stole a couple'a grand from Dad's office, plus some shit to pawn, and a few of his credit cards."

"Well, Diego, I'm impressed," Klaus managed.

"Didn't realise you'd be _quite_ in this state when you returned though."

"Rookie error, Number Two."

Klaus pushed himself up with both hands on the bed to balance him. He stood on both feet, swayed, and leant into Diego. Diego wrapped an arm around his waist to help steady him.

"Just… Try not to be sick, and keep quiet, okay?" Diego said. Klaus nodded. Diego shifted abruptly, which almost set Klaus off again, but he realised he was just shouldering the bag on Klaus' bed. Klaus realised he had one of his own already. He would have felt guilty were he not feeling like death warmed up. Well, warmed up was a strong word for it given he felt like his veins were filled with chips of ice.

Diego navigated them through the hallways. They had to stop and let Klaus breathe a few times, let him stave off the nausea. Klaus braced himself against the walls, clutched the bannister down the stairs like a lifeline.

By some miracle they didn't encounter anyone on the way out. It made sense; Diego was planning this, and it _was_ 3am. Diego wouldn't have tried to sneak them out if there was considerable risk of them getting caught.

The outside world was cool, but almost warm against Klaus' icy skin. Diego kept them walking until he managed to hail a cab. Klaus tucked his face into Diego's neck in the back of the cab, letting his eyes close. His head was throbbing, and he couldn't stop shivering. Diego kept stroking his hair, and if Klaus didn't know any better, he'd say Diego pressed a few kisses to his forehead and the top of his head.

Diego let him sit outside in the gutter when they reached a shitty motel somewhere far away. Klaus vaguely recognised it, but he put his head between his knees to keep the flickering neon lights from tormenting his exploding head.

And then there were steady hands peeling his damp clothes from his body. There was a shower. Diego helped him sit under the blistering water, and when he no longer felt like he'd slipped through a frozen lake, he was brought to a musty old bed and tucked under blankets.

"There's water here, and a bin here if you need it," Diego said, brushing Klaus' wet hair off his face. Klaus could scarcely keep his eyes open. He nodded.

"I'm going out for a bit, but I'll be back soon."

Klaus had a thousand questions, but he was too tired to ask them. Instead, he nodded again, felt warm fingers on his forehead again, and then heard the quiet sound of a door shutting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see Ben, sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed.

Klaus squeezed his eyes shut against the stinging and even though it made him sick, even though he fought it, he convulsed with a sob. He curled around a thin pillow, and buried his head in it.

And he didn't cry.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/spikeymarshmllw) | [tumblr](https://spikeymarshmallows.tumblr.com/) | [dreamwidth](https://spikeymarshmallows.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> *
> 
> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> This author replies to comments.
> 
> Note: If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


End file.
